In his EMBO Reports editorial this month (8, 1087; 2007), Hope, hype and hypocrisy, Frank Gannon provides examples of overinflated claims made in some recent publications and press releases. He points out that, to the unsuspecting reader, these claims give the impression that a cure or treatment for a disease is just around the corner when the reality is almost always that it isn’t. Reasons for this escalation of hype are addressed, but:

“Ultimately, the problem is that scientists over-promise by sending messages of being close to their goals even if this is not true. They also send messages that, as soon as the first results come in, the next steps to real applications are quicker than the previous research stage; this is not true either.”

Systematic hyperbole and self-promotion are not only dishonest, but threaten the public’s trust and support for science, and ultimately will undermine research itself. Or as Dr Gannon puts it: “an atmosphere of trust and transparency is better than a barrage of exaggerated claims and promises.”